U.S. patent number 9,192,178 [Application Number 13/587,606] was granted by the patent office on 2015-11-24 for griddle having attached warming plate.
This patent grant is currently assigned to National Presto Industries, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Michael R. Berge, Russell W. Hall. Invention is credited to Michael R. Berge, Russell W. Hall.
United States Patent |
9,192,178 |
Berge , et al. |
November 24, 2015 |
Griddle having attached warming plate
Abstract
A countertop griddle and related methods of cooking food with a
countertop griddle including a warming tray. The warming tray can
be rotatably attached to the countertop griddle such that the
warming tray can be rotatably pivoted from a covering disposition
to an intermediary disposition to an open disposition. When in the
covering disposition, the warming tray can serve to protect a user
from exposure to grease spatter and to receive heat conducted from
a cooking surface. During cooking, the warming tray can be rotated
to the intermediary disposition such that the user can manipulated
the food item being prepared. Finally, the warming tray can be
rotated to an open disposition defining a serving tray for
receiving a cooked food item. The warming tray can be detached from
the countertop griddle when the warming tray is positioned in any
of the covering, intermediate or open dispositions.
Inventors: |
Berge; Michael R. (Eau Claire,
WI), Hall; Russell W. (Eau Claire, WI) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Berge; Michael R.
Hall; Russell W. |
Eau Claire
Eau Claire |
WI
WI |
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
National Presto Industries,
Inc. (Eau Claire, WI)
|
Family
ID: |
50100215 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/587,606 |
Filed: |
August 16, 2012 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20140050834 A1 |
Feb 20, 2014 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A23L
5/10 (20160801); A47J 37/0676 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47J
37/10 (20060101); A47J 37/06 (20060101); A23L
1/01 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;426/438,441
;99/369,372,389,400-418 ;219/450.1,452.13,620-624,725,730
;206/507-508 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Presto.RTM. 20-inch Cool Touch Electric Griddle, webpage,
http://www.gopresto.com/products/products.php?stock=07030, Nov. 7,
2011, 2 pages. cited by applicant .
Presto.RTM. 22-inch Electric Griddle, webpage,
http://www.gopresto.com/products/products.php?stock=07039, Nov. 7,
2011, 2 pages. cited by applicant .
Presto.RTM. 22-inch Electric Griddle with Removable Handles,
webpage, http://www.gopresto.com/products/products.php?stock=07061,
Nov. 7, 2011, 2 pages. cited by applicant .
Presto.RTM. Cool Touch Electric Griddle, webpage,
http://www.gopresto.com/products/products.php?stock=07047, Nov. 7,
2011, 2 pages. cited by applicant .
Presto.RTM. Cool Touch Electric Foldaway.TM. Griddle, webpage,
http://www.gopresto.com/products/products.php?stock=07050, Nov. 7,
2011, 2 pages. cited by applicant .
Presto.RTM. Cool Touch Electric Tilt'nDrain.TM. Griddle, webpage,
http://www.gopresto.com/products/products.php?stock=07045, Nov. 7,
2011, 2 pages. cited by applicant .
Presto.RTM. Liddle Griddle.RTM. mini griddle, webpage,
http://www.gopresto.com/products/products.php?stock=07211, Nov. 7,
2011, 2 pages. cited by applicant .
Presto.RTM. Tilt'nDrain.TM. BigGriddle cool touch electric griddle,
webpage, http://www.gopresto.com/products/products.php?stock=07046,
Nov. 7, 2011, 3 pages. cited by applicant .
APW Wyott 23780 7 Qt. Notched/Hinged Stainless Steel Inset Cover,
webpage,
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/apw-wyott-23780-7-qt-notched-hinged-stain-
less-steel-inset-cover/13523780.html, printed Feb. 2, 2012, 2
pages. cited by applicant .
Oster 12-inch Skillet with Hinged Lid, webpage,
http://www.oster.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=1625, printed Feb. 7,
2012, 1 page. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Leff; Steven
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Patterson Thuente Pedersen,
P.A.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A countertop griddle, comprising: a griddle body including a
cooking surface; and a warming plate attached to the griddle body,
the warming plate being adapted to shift between a covering
disposition and an open disposition in which the warming plate
resides above at least a portion of the cooking surface with an
upper tray surface facing downward toward the cooking surface when
in the covering disposition and the warming plate presents a tray
adapted to receive a food item with the upper tray surface facing
upward when in the open disposition.
2. The countertop griddle of claim 1, wherein the warming plate is
rotatably attached to the griddle body.
3. The countertop griddle of claim 2, wherein the warming plate,
further comprises a pair of mounting arms and wherein the griddle
body further comprises a pair of receiving channels, wherein each
mounting arm mounts within the corresponding receiving channel to
rotatably attach the warming plate to the griddle body.
4. The countertop griddle of claim 3, wherein the each of the
receiving channels includes a spring member that interfaces with
the mounting arm to lock the warming plate in the covering
disposition, the open disposition or an intermediate
disposition.
5. The countertop griddle of claim 4, wherein the warming plate is
attachable or detachable from the griddle body only in the covering
disposition, the open disposition or the intermediate
disposition.
6. The countertop griddle of claim 4, wherein each mounting arm
includes a mounting end portion having end wall defining a
generally square cross-section and wherein the end walls interface
with a pair of parallel inner sections on each spring member to
lock the warming plate in the covering disposition, the open
disposition or the intermediate disposition.
7. The countertop griddle of claim 1, wherein the tray comprises a
tray wall height selected to substantially cover the food item when
in the covering disposition such that a tray surface resides
substantially parallel to the cooking surface.
8. The countertop griddle of claim 7, wherein the tray wall height
is between about 0.5 inches to about 3.0 inches.
9. The countertop griddle of 8, wherein the tray resembles a
serving tray when the tray is positioned in the open disposition,
the serving tray defined by an upper tray surface, a front tray
wall, a rear tray wall, a left tray wall and a right tray wall.
10. The countertop griddle of claim 1, wherein the griddle body
includes a heating element mounted proximate a bottom surface of
the cooking surface such that the warming plate is heated by
conduction from the cooking surface when the warming plate is
positioned in the covering disposition.
11. A method for serving cooked food, comprising: placing a food
item to be cooked on a cooking surface of a countertop griddle;
positioning a warming plate above at least a portion of the
countertop griddle, wherein the warming plate is attached to the
countertop griddle with an upper tray surface facing downward
toward the cooking surface; heating the warming plate with heat
energy conducted from the cooking surface; and positioning the
warming plate to receive a cooked food item such that the warming
plate remains attached to the countertop griddle with the upper
tray surface facing upward to accommodate the cooked food item.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the warming plate is rotatably
coupled to the countertop griddle, such that positioning the
warming plate above at least a portion of the countertop griddle,
comprises: rotating the warming plate to a covering disposition
above at least a portion of the countertop griddle.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: cooking at least
one food item underneath the warming plate in the covering
disposition such that warming plate protects a user from grease
splatter.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein positioning the warming plate
to received the cooked food item, comprises: rotating the warming
plate to an open disposition defining a serving tray for receiving
the cooked food item.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to countertop griddles.
More specifically, the present invention is directed to a
countertop griddle including a hinged warming plate so as to
provide increased functionality to a user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Countertop griddles are a well known consumer appliance and provide
users with a convenient easy to clean cooking surface. Countertop
griddles are frequently used when preparing breakfast items such
as, for example, pancakes, French toast, bacon, sausage and various
preparations of eggs. Oftentimes, more than one type of food is
being prepared simultaneously. In addition, items such as, for
example, bacon may splatter during preparation, thus causing a user
to contact hot grease. As such, it would be advantageous if
conventional countertop griddles were improved to deal with
situations in which multiple food items are being simultaneously
prepared or to prevent exposure to splattered grease.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A countertop griddle of the present invention provides additional
function to the act of cooking food items by including an attached
warming tray. The warming tray can be rotatably attached to the
countertop griddle such that the warming tray can be rotatably
pivoted from a covering disposition to an intermediary disposition
to an open disposition. The warming tray can include mounting arms
that interface with a spring member mounted within receiving
channels on the countertop griddle to effectively lock the warming
tray in either the covering disposition, intermediary disposition
or open disposition. When in the covering disposition, the warming
tray can serve to protect a user from exposure to grease spatter.
In addition, the covering disposition positions the warming tray to
receive heat conducted from a cooking surface of the countertop
griddle. During cooking, the warming tray can be rotated to the
intermediary disposition such that the user can manipulate the food
item being prepared. Finally, the warming tray can be rotated to an
open disposition defining a serving tray for receiving a cooked
food item. The serving tray is generally preheated from convection
when the warming tray is in the covering disposition and through
conduction when the warming tray is in the open disposition such
that serving tray helps to maintain the temperature of the cooked
food item. The warming tray can be selectively attached or removed
from the countertop griddle when the warming tray is oriented to be
in the covering disposition, intermediary disposition or open
disposition.
In one aspect of the present invention, a countertop griddle can
comprise a griddle body and having a cooking surface with a warming
tray attached to the griddle body. The warming tray can be
rotatably attached to the griddle body such that the warming tray
is rotatably positionable between a covering disposition, an
intermediary disposition and an open disposition. The warming tray
can include mounting arms that interface with spring members
mounted within receiving channels on the griddle body to
effectively lock the warming tray in either the covering
disposition, intermediary disposition or open disposition. With the
warming tray in the covering disposition, the warming tray is
positioned above at least a portion of the cooking surface such
that the warming tray can prevent a user from being exposed to
grease splatter by food items that are covered by the warming tray
while being cooked on the cooking surface. At the same time, the
warming tray is receiving heat energy convected from the cooking
surface. During cooking of the food items, the warming tray can be
rotated to an intermediary disposition such that a user can
manipulate the food items being cooked, for example, flipping or
rolling of the food items, to facilitate fully cooking the food
items and preventing burning of the food items. Following cooking
of food items, the warming tray can be rotatably positioned in an
open disposition such that the warming tray substantially defines a
serving tray. The warming tray is heated by conduction from the
cooking surface when in the open disposition. The warming tray can
be selectively attached or removed from the griddle body when the
warming tray is oriented in either the covering disposition,
intermediary disposition or open disposition.
In another aspect of the present invention, the present invention
can be directed to a method of serving cooked food. Generally, the
method can comprise placing a food item to be cooked on a cooking
surface of a countertop griddle. Next, a warming plate can be
positioned above at least a portion of the countertop griddle,
wherein the warming plate is attached to the countertop griddle.
Next, the warming plate can be heated by energy convected from the
cooking surface while the warming plate is positioned above at the
countertop griddle. Finally, the warming plate can be positioned to
define a serving tray for receiving a cooked food item with the
warming plate attached to the countertop griddle. The serving tray
can be heated by energy conducted from the cooking surface. The
warming plate can be rotatably attached to the countertop griddle
such that the warming plate is rotatably movable between a covering
disposition covering at least a portion of the countertop griddle
and an open disposition defining the serving tray. The method can
further comprise cooking at least one food item underneath the
warming plate in the covering disposition such that warming plate
protects a user from grease splatter.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the present
invention can be directed to a method of preparing cooked food.
Generally, the method can comprise placing a food item to be cooked
on a cooking surface of a countertop griddle. Next a warming plate
can be positioned above the food item, wherein the warming plate is
attached to the countertop griddle. The method can further comprise
blocking grease splatter from the food item with the warming plate
as the food item is cooking on the cooking surface. The warming
plate can be rotatably attached to the countertop griddle such that
the warming plates can be rotatably positioned in a covering
disposition such that the warming plate covers at least a portion
of the cooking surface. The method can further comprises rotating
the warming plate to an intermediary disposition such that the user
can manipulate the food item on the cooking surface, for example,
flipping or rolling the food item so as to thoroughly cook the food
item and prevent burning of the food item. The method can further
comprise rotating the warming plate to an open disposition such
that the warming plate defines a serving tray for receiving a
cooked food item. Finally, the method can comprise heating the
warming plate with heat energy convected from the cooking surface
when the warming plate is in the covering disposition. The method
can further comprise heating the warming plate with energy
conducted from the cooking surface when the warming plate is in the
open disposition.
The above summary of the various representative embodiments of the
invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment
or every implementation of the invention. Rather, the embodiments
are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art can
appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the
invention. The figures in the detailed description that follow more
particularly exemplify these embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention can be more completely understood in consideration of
the following detailed description of various embodiments of the
invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of a griddle according to an embodiment of the
present invention with a warming tray arranged in a covering
disposition.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the griddle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the griddle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a right side view of the griddle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a rear view of the griddle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a left side view of the griddle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a perspective, top view of the griddle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 is a perspective, top view of the griddle of FIG. 1 with the
warming tray arranged in an intermediary disposition.
FIG. 9 is a perspective, top view of the griddle of FIG. 1 with the
warming tray arranged in an open disposition.
FIG. 10 is a section view of the griddle of FIG. 1 in a covering
disposition as taken at line 10-10 of FIG. 7.
FIG. 11 is a section view of the griddle of FIG. 1 in an
intermediary disposition as taken at line 11-11 of FIG. 8.
FIG. 12 is a section view of the griddle of FIG. 1 in an open
disposition as taken at line 12-12 of FIG. 9.
FIG. 13 is a section of the griddle of FIG. 1 illustrating a
locking interaction between a mounting arm and a spring member.
FIG. 14 is an exploded, perspective view of the griddle of FIG. 1
illustrating a mounting arm arranged for attachment to or
detachment from of a warming plate to a griddle body.
While the invention is amenable to various modifications and
alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of
example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should
be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the
invention to the particular embodiments as described. On the
contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents,
and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring generally to FIGS. 1-9, a countertop griddle 100 of the
present invention generally comprises a griddle body 102 and a
warming plate 104. Countertop griddle 100 can be fabricated of
materials suited for food contact and capable of withstanding
elevated temperatures.
As seen in FIGS. 1-9, griddle body 102 generally comprises an
unheated perimeter portion 110 and a cooking surface 112. Unheated
perimeter portion 110 is generally fabricated of non or low
conducting materials such that a user can handle the countertop
griddle 100 without fear of being burned. Unheated perimeter
portion 110 can be fabricated of suitable polymeric materials such
as, for example, nylon, polyester resin, phenolic resin and the
like. Cooking surface 112 is generally fabricated of typical
cooking surface materials such as, for example, aluminum, stainless
steel and the like and can be treated or include coatings to
provide non-stick qualities. Perimeter portion 110 generally
includes a left side wall 114, a right side wall 116 and a front
wall 118. Front wall 118 can include a gap 120 for slidably
mounting a removable drip tray 122. Feet 124 are attached to a
bottom perimeter surface 126 at front and rear locations of the
left side wall 114 and right side wall 116. Feet 124 can further
include an internal support portion 128. Bottom perimeter surface
126 can include a pair of slide brackets 130a, 130b for slidably
accommodating the removable drip tray 122. Feet 124 are attached at
both front and rear locations of the left side wall 114 and right
side wall 116.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3, 7-9 and 14, cooking surface 112
generally includes a raised lip 134 that fully surrounds a cooking
perimeter 136 of an upper surface 138. Raised lip 134 generally
defines an upwardly facing front lip 139, an upwardly facing left
lip 140, an upwardly facing right lip 141 and an upwardly facing
rear lip 142. An aperture 143 is located in the cooking surface 112
proximate the front lip 140 and extends from the upper surface 138
to a bottom surface 144. Upper surface 138 preferably includes a
non-stick coating such that food being cooked does not stick to the
cooking surface 112 and to facilitate easy cleaning of the cooking
surface 112. A resistive heating element 145 is mounted to the
bottom surface 144 such that heat energy is conducted through the
cooking surface 112 for cooking food on the upper surface 138.
Resistive heating element 145 is operably connected to an
electrical receptacle 146 wherein a power cord can be connected
such that electrical energy is supplied to the resistive heating
element 145.
As seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4-9, warming plate 104 is generally
rotatably mounted to the griddle body 102 such that the warming
plate 104 can be rotated between a covering disposition 150 as
shown in FIG. 7, an intermediary disposition 152 as shown in FIG. 8
and an open disposition 154 as shown in FIG. 9. As illustrated in
FIG. 9, warming pate 104 substantially resembles a serving tray
153. As described below, the description of warming plate 104 and
the terms front, rear, top and bottom generally refer to the open
disposition 154 as shown in FIG. 9. Warming plate 104 can be
constructed of appropriate materials for food contact and that can
stand up to temperatures conducted from the cooking surface 112.
Representative materials can include polymers such as, for example,
nylon, bulk molding compound and the like or metals such as, for
example, aluminum, stainless steel and the like. In addition,
warming plate 104 can include surface treatments or coatings to
provide non-stick functions to the warming plate 104. Serving tray
153 generally comprises a tray surface 157 defined by an upper tray
surface 158 and a bottom tray surface 160. Serving tray 153 is
further defined by a front tray wall 162, a rear tray wall 164, a
left tray wall 166 and a right tray wall 168. Front tray wall 162,
rear tray wall 164, left tray wall 166 and right tray wall 168
generally define a tray wall height 169 of between about 0.5 inches
to about 3.0 inches. The left tray wall 166 and right tray wall 168
each include a tray handle 170.
Referring generally to FIGS. 10-14, warming plate 104 is removably
attached to the griddle body 102 through the interaction of a pair
of mounting arms 172, 174 and a corresponding pair of receiving
channels 176, 178. Mounting arms 172, 174 are integral to the
warming plate 104 and extend outwardly from the front tray wall 162
proximate the intersections with the left tray wall 166 and right
tray wall 168 respectively. Each mounting arm 172, 174 includes an
arm body 179 having a mounting end portion 180. Arm body 179
generally has a circular cross-section 181 while the mounting end
portion 180 has end walls 183 defining a generally square
cross-section 182. Mounting end portion 180 defines a mounting end
width 177 between parallel sides of the square cross-section 182.
Receiving channels 176, 178 are located on the left side wall 114
and right side wall 116 respectively of the griddle body 102.
Receiving channels 176, 178 each define a generally arcuate channel
portion 184 and a generally rectangular channel portion 185.
Mounted within the rectangular channel portion 185 of each
receiving channel 176, 178 is a spring member 186. Spring member
186 is generally defined by a first end 187 and a second end 188.
Spring member 186 is formed so as to define a pair of parallel
inner sections 192, 194 and a pair of parallel outer sections 196,
198 connected by a bottom section 200. Between the corresponding
parallel inner sections 192, 194 and parallel outer sections 196,
198 are a pair of curved transition sections 201, 202. Generally,
the spring member 186 has an outside width 204 measured between the
pair of parallel outer sections 196, 198 and an inside width 206
measured between the pair of parallel inner sections 192, 194.
Outside width 204 is generally selected such that spring member 186
mounts snugly within the rectangular channel portions 185 of each
receiving channel 176, 178 with the parallel outer sections 196,
198 and bottom section 200 in contact with the walls defining the
rectangular channel portion 185. Inside width 206 is generally
selected to be equivalent to a distance between opposing end walls
183 of the mounting end portion 180. Spring member 186 can be
fixedly retained within the receiving channel 176, 178 using a
suitable fastener, for example, a screw 208 that attaches and
retains the spring member 186 to the griddle body 102.
Through the interaction of the mounting arms 172, 174, receiving
channels 176, 178 and spring members 186, warming plate 104 can be
selectively attached and detached when warming plate 104 is
arranged in the covering disposition 150, intermediary disposition
152 or open disposition 154. As illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12,
when warming plate 104 is positioned in either the covering
disposition 150, intermediary disposition 152 or open disposition
154, the generally square cross-section 182 of the mounting end
portion 180 causes the vertically oriented end walls 183 to be
generally parallel to the parallel inner sections 192, 194. This is
best illustrated in FIG. 14 illustrating attachment of warming
plate 104 to griddle body 102 in open disposition 154. As the
inside width 206 is generally equal to the distance between the
vertically oriented end walls 183 or mounting end width 177, the
warming plate 104 is attached or removed by simply pressing the
mounting end portions 180 into the receiving channels 176, 178 or
alternatively, pulling the mounting end portions 180 from the
receiving channels 176, 178. As can be seen in FIG. 13, orienting
the warming plate 104 in a position other than the covering
disposition 150, intermediary disposition 152 or open disposition
154 causes the end walls 183 to be arranged in a non-parallel
orientation with respect to the parallel inner sections 192, 194.
The corners defined by the square cross-section 182 define a width
greater than mounting end width 177 and correspondingly, the inside
width 206. When the warming plate 104 is attached to the griddle
body 102 and oriented as shown in FIG. 13, the mounting end portion
180 presses the parallel inner sections 192, 194 toward the
parallel outer sections 196, 198. When the mounting end portion 180
is arranged as shown in FIG. 13, the warming plate 104 cannot be
removed as the width between the corners exceeds the inside width
206 as defined between the curved transition sections 201, 202.
Similarly, if warming plate 104 is not previously attached to the
griddle body 102, the mounting arms 172, 174 cannot be advanced
into the receiving channels 176, 178 when the mounting end portions
180 are oriented as illustrated with respect to the spring members
186. While the warming plate 104 can be selectively attached or
detached from the griddle body 102 when the warming plate 104 is
arranged in either the covering disposition 150, intermediary
disposition 152 or open disposition 154, these dispositions also
provide a locking function that will hold the warming plate 104 in
the desired disposition absent additional force being applied by a
user due to the interaction of the end walls 183 with the parallel
inner sections 192, 194.
In use during cooking, countertop griddle 100 can be initially
utilized in a similar manner as conventional griddles. Generally, a
power cord including a temperature control can be plugged into the
electrical receptacle 146. With power supplied to the resistive
heating element 145, the resistive heating element 145 begins
heating bottom surface 144 such that heat is conducted through the
cooking surface 112 until upper surface 138 reaches a desired
cooking temperature. With the upper surface 138 heated to a desired
temperature, food items such as, for example, breakfast foods such
as eggs, bacon and/or sausage can be placed onto the upper surface
138 for cooking. During cooking of the food items, raised lip 134
prevents food items such as sausage links from rolling off the
upper surface 138 or liquid eggs from dripping off the upper
surface 138. In addition, aperture 143 allows for liquid grease
from food items such as bacon or sausage to drip into the removable
drip tray 122. Following cooking of the food items, removable drip
tray 122 can be slidably removed from the slide brackets 130a, 130b
such that grease can be discarded and to facilitate cleaning of the
removable drip tray 122.
Whereas countertop griddle 100 initially operates similarly to
convention griddles, the inclusion of warming plate 104 provides
additional convenience and functionality related to cooking
performance, operator safety and serving convenience. Generally,
warming plate 104 can initially attached to the griddle body 102 in
any of covering disposition 150, intermediary disposition 152 or
open disposition 154 as previously described. In situations where
the warming plate 104 will be utilized to hold and serve food
following cooking, it can be advantageous to initially attach the
warming plate 104 in open disposition 150. In open disposition 150,
upwardly facing rear lip 142 is in direct physical contact with the
front tray wall 142 such that tray 153 is heated with heat energy
conducted from the upwardly facing rear lip 142 through the front
tray wall 162. It should be noted that increasing the amount of
food positioned in the tray 153 will increase the pressure applied
by the front tray wall 162 to the upwardly facing rear lip 142
which will further increase the amount of heat conducted to the
warming plate 104. When in the open disposition 154, warming plate
104 can be supported above a surface that the feet 124 are residing
on, for example, a countertop or table, such that the bottom tray
surface 160, which can be at an elevated temperature, is supported
above the countertop or table and does not directly contact the
countertop or table which could lead to potential damage.
Alternatively, if warming plate 104 will be utilized to cover food
items during cooking of the food items, it can be advantageous to
place the warming plate 104 in either the intermediary disposition
152 or open disposition 154 such that the food items can be
positioned on the cooking surface 112 proximate the upwardly facing
rear lip 142 as the food items to be cooked are placed on the
cooking surface 112. In this manner, warming plate 104 can be
subsequently rotated to the covering disposition 150 to cover the
food items located a rear portion of the upper surface 138 during
cooking. During cooking of food items that are covered by the
warming plate 104, a user can grasp one or both of the tray handles
170 to rotate the warming plate 104 to the intermediary disposition
152. In this manner, the user can access the food items previously
covered by the warming plate 104 such that the food items can be
manipulated by flipping, i.e. bacon or sausage patties, or rolled,
i.e. sausage links for thorough cooking and to prevent burning.
Tray handles 170 are preferably manufactured of a generally
non-conductive material, such as, for example, ceramic or polymeric
materials, such that the user can easily grasp the handle 170 and
manipulate the heated warming plate 104 without risk of burning or
discomfort.
When warming plate 104 is positioned in the covering disposition
150 during heating of the cooking surface 112, serving tray 153 is
heated by convection of heat energy from the upper surface 138. At
the same time that serving tray 153 is being heated, warming plate
104 can be functioning as a spatter shield for items that can spray
or spurt grease during cooking such as, for example, bacon or
sausage. In addition, warming plate 104 can act as a steam cover or
for the application of quick heat, for example, melting cheese on a
cheeseburger, when the warming plate 104 is arranged in the
covering disposition 150. With warming plate 104 arranged in the
covering disposition 150, a user can manipulate food items, such
as, for example, stirring scrambled eggs, frying hamburgers or
flipping French toast or pancakes, on a portion of the upper
surface 138 proximate the upwardly facing front lip 139 that is not
covered by the warming plate 104. As the user manipulates the food
items proximate the upwardly facing front lip 139, any grease
spraying or spurting from the food items covered by the warming
plate 104 is blocked and prevented from coming into contact with
the user. In addition to functioning as a splatter shield when in
the covering disposition 150, the warming plate 104 can also act as
a spatter shield when in intermediate disposition 152 to protect
walls or other items located adjacent the upwardly facing rear lip
142.
Following cooking of the food items, either on portions of the
upper surface 138 covered or not covered by the warming plate 104,
the warming plate 104 can be rotated to the open disposition 154.
With the warming plate 104 rotated to open disposition 154, any
food items previously cooked on the cooking surface 112 can be
removed from the upper surface 138 and placed into the tray 153.
Due to the heat previously convected from the cooking surface 112
to the serving tray 153, serving tray 153 is already warm such that
food items placed in serving tray 153 are kept warm prior to and/or
during serving. In addition, warming plate 104 will be heated
directly by conduction of heat energy from the upwardly facing rear
lip 142 through the front tray wall 162 such that when the food
items are placed in serving tray 153, they remain warm but
additional cooking is stopped so as to prevent burning of these
food items. When cooking is completed and the warming plate is in
the open disposition 154, warming plate 104 including the food
positioned in the warming plate 104 can be lifted directly upwards
and detached from the griddle body 102 such that warming plate 104
can be carried to a counter or table where the food is to be
served. This eliminates the need for a separate serving dish, thus
reducing cleanup by using the warming plate 104 for both keeping
food warm and serving the food.
After cooking is completed, countertop griddle 100 can be cleaned
by hand or placed into an automated dishwasher. Warming plate 104
can be rotatably positioned in any of the covering disposition 150,
the intermediate disposition 152 or open disposition 154 to remove
the warming plate 104 from the griddle body 102 so as to facilitate
placement within the dishwasher. Alternatively, the warming plate
104 can remain attached to the griddle body 102 during washing with
the warming plate 104 arranged in any of the covering disposition
150, the intermediate disposition 152 or open disposition 154 so as
to fit within the dishwasher. Similarly, the warming plate 104 can
be removed from griddle body 102 or rotatably positioned in any of
covering disposition 150, intermediate disposition 152 or open
disposition 154 with respect to griddle body 102 so as to
facilitate storage of the countertop griddle 100.
Although specific examples have been illustrated and described
herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the
art that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose
could be substituted for the specific examples shown. This
application is intended to cover adaptations or variations of the
present subject matter. Therefore, it is intended that the
invention be defined by the attached claims and their legal
equivalents.
* * * * *
References